


The Lace That Saved Christmas

by Larrymama15



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Boyshorts, Fluff, M/M, No actual sex happens, One Shot, Thongs - Freeform, i mean you get the idea it’s about wearing women’s underwear, underpants are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 07:52:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16782796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larrymama15/pseuds/Larrymama15
Summary: Louis works in retail and isn’t a big fan of Christmas. Until a shopper making an interesting purchase catches his eye.





	The Lace That Saved Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> I literally have no idea why I’m publishing this but hey! Read it if you’d like! 
> 
> Thanks to Jacky, Susette, and Ash for always making me feel like my words mean something, even when I don’t think they do. ♥️

Louis hated Christmas. 

Working in retail made him despise every holiday really, but Christmas was by far the worst. 

It didn't help that his birthday was Christmas Eve, his life a constant battle of combo gifts and Christmas wrapping paper covering his birthday presents. He didn't get a class party because of winter holidays, he didn't get a fun summer pool party, he had to listen to stupid carols and deal with a stupid tree and work a part time job at the shops and it was all so stupid. 

He really hated Christmas. 

Today, four days to the holiday and three to his birthday, was no better. 

He was almost to the end of a very long shift, and he couldn't wait to go home. The owner of the shop where Louis worked was so short staffed he reassigned Louis to a different department. So, instead of getting to help dress cute guys in nice clothes like normal, he was stuck folding women’s underwear and flushing bright red at every older female customer who asked him questions about bra sizes. 

Which is why, of course, he noticed the boy right away. 

Louis was twenty, and as a red-blooded gay male he couldn't help it if he noticed cute boys immediately. It was just a thing. But this boy wasn't cute.

He was stunning. 

He had a mop of chocolate curls it looked like he had tried and failed to tame. His frame was tall, lanky, and awkward, like a baby deer. His jeans were a touch too big and pooled at his feet, his zip-up jumper over what looked like an obscure band t-shirt. He had pale skin with a few struggle spots, but Louis couldn't be pressed to notice because Louis was open mouth staring at his face. Green eyes so open and earnest they looked like a puppy dog’s sat on top of an adorable nose. What really stopped Louis in his tracks was those goddamn lips.

Lips so pink and big and perfect they put every other pair Louis had ever seen to shame. If there were lips that were made to be kissed in this world, this kid’s were it. 

He felt a zing run through him to his toes, smiled to himself and went back to sorting women’s underwear by size. Louis had watched a lot of beautiful people in his time in this shop, but this boy took the cake. He was beautiful, and Louis found himself itching to talk to him. This was his section today, after all. He might as well make the most of it. 

“Looking for anything in particular?” He chirped, his practiced customer service tone in full force. 

“Uh… um…” The boy stammered adorably, blinking at Louis. He was standing in front of a table of lace panties, hands shoved deep into his pockets. 

“I'm Louis. Can I help you find something?” Louis said, a bit slower, watching the flush creep over the boy’s face and the sheer panic be replaced by something that could only be described as embarrassment.

“Um. Sorry. I’m just looking, I think?” The hot stranger flushed an even deeper shade. His voice, god, of course his voice was incredible. It seemed to rumble from within him, his deep tone and slow pace made Louis literally hang on his every word. 

“Who is she?” Louis blurted out, not ready to leave yet. 

The other boy looked so confused that Louis had to suppress a laugh, he looked like a rumpled kitten when his eyebrows knit together in a frown. 

“Who?” 

“The person you're shopping for?” Louis gestured to the lace on the table in front of him. The young man’s frown deepened, he was practically scarlet now. 

“Oh. Um. Well. I haven't decided yet.” 

“You have that many girlfriends, do you know?” Louis teased. He knew he should move on, but he was so curious. 

The other boy laughed. “Sure. Something like that.” 

Louis’ tried not to let his heart fall and failed miserably. This guy, as beautiful as he might be, was pretty closed off, and Louis knew when his welcome had been worn out. 

“Well. My name’s Louis, if you need anything.” 

He gave the other boy a warm smile and turned to walk back to folding socks. He felt eyes on the back of him and when he whipped around to check a display, sure enough, the gorgeous boy dropped his gaze. Louis was aching to know more about him, his name, his story, but didn't want to push him away. 

So he went back to work.

But always, always keeping an eye on the boy. Watching him. The gorgeous stranger stared at the lace panties in front of him and frowned. He picked three or four pairs and then started to make his way toward Louis, who pretended to be busy folding socks. 

“Uhh… Louis, right?” 

“Oh, hi there. Yes. How can I help you, Mr...?” 

“Um. It's Harry. Harry Styles.” 

“Hello Harry Styles, what can I do for you?” Louis asked, elated. Now he at least had a name to put with such a pretty face. 

“I don't know what size.” 

Louis laughed, but immediately stopped when he saw Harry’s stricken face crumble a bit. 

“Hey, Harry, that's okay. Sorry, didn't mean to make fun. It's hard to know what girls’ sizes are, you know? Not to worry, I can help. Is she much smaller than you?” Louis whipped out his cloth tape measure. “I could just measure you around, if you think that might help.” 

Harry looked at him and scrunched up his face like he wanted to sneeze, his adorable bunny nose completely endearing. “Do you carry that everywhere with you, then?” He teased. 

“I will have you know that this tape measure is magic, Harold. It has touched the bum of none other than David Beckham himself.”

“Really?” Harry giggled, shocked. 

“Do I look like I would lie to you?” Louis countered, pretending to be solemn. “Now, why don't you grab those delicates and we can head over to the men’s fitting rooms.” 

Harry stilled. “Why would we go there?” 

“So I can measure you and you can tell me if it's close to your girl or not. Unless you wanted to model them for me or summat?” 

Harry flushed such a deep red that Louis immediately felt terrible... and suspicious. “Harry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—” 

“They’re for me.” Harry whispered, not meeting Louis’ eye. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, and looked like he was trying not to cry. 

Louis stared for a beat and swallowed, heat shimmering through him, arousal spiking in his stomach like a kick from a footie cleat. 

The thought of Harry, naked and pretty and perfect in nothing but the lace panties in his hand was honestly too much for Louis’ brain to handle. He willed himself to think of anything but the image already in his mind, willed his mouth to stop watering, willed his cock to tone it down while he attempted to think of a witty and clever response to take this gorgeous boy’s discomfort away. 

“Harry,” he said, attempting to hide the desire in his voice and failing, based on Harry’s head whipping up to meet his gaze. “That's so great. Um. I think that's really great. And this is totally inappropriate of me to say, but I think the person who gets to see, well, is very lucky indeed.” 

Harry looked like the sun was breaking away from the clouds. He smiled beatifically, a dimple appeared in his cheek and took Louis’ breath away. He should always be smiling like this. Louis was spellbound. 

“What size pants do you wear?” Louis again blurted out. He was usually very in control of what he said, but it was like Harry’s dimple and his ridiculous lips and his stupid curls were creating a disconnect between his brain and his mouth. 

“Uh, medium, usually.” Harry said, back to looking down at the lace in front of him and frowning. 

“Okay. So. You'd probably best off with a pair of women’s large.” Louis gestured to where they were laying on the display table. “The boy shorts are the closest to our pants, and of course there are the thongs…” Louis trailed off, blushing. Harry couldn’t buy lacy thongs, not when Louis wouldn't get to reap the benefits. Life was so unfair. “So, uh, if you need anything else, Harry, I'll be just—” 

“Thoughts on a color?” Harry asked cheekily, finally looking at him with a flirty challenge in his eye. Louis never backed down from a challenge. 

“Ask your girlfriend.” 

“Don't have one.” 

“Your boyfriend, then?”

“Fresh out.” 

Louis looked him up and down. “How is someone who looks like you and purchasing lace like you single?” 

Harry laughed bitterly. There was obviously a story there. “Know any volunteers, Louis?” 

Louis grabbed a bright red pair that were lined with gold thread and waved them in Harry’s face. “Here! ''Tis the season, and all.” 

Harry visibly swallowed and took them from Louis, and when their fingers brushed, it was like a jolt of electricity sparked down Louis’ spine. 

“Thanks.” Harry said. The frown was back. He headed towards the register, without another word to Louis, who just watched him go. 

He turned and stalked back to his table of socks. What the hell just happened? As he replayed the events of just a few minutes ago in his mind, he watched Harry check out. The red thong Louis picked out for him was wrapped up in a gift bag. He rolled his eyes inwardly and turned his attention to the pyjama section, reorganizing racks and trying not to hum the carols that were blaring through the tinny speakers. He hated this song. 

He watched as Harry chatted happily with the girl behind the counter who looked straight at Louis. He whirled around and started back at his work, praying the clock would speed up and he could just go home, briefly considering hiding behind one of the racks until his last fifteen minutes of this strange day were up. 

“Hey.” 

Louis jumped out of his skin and whipped around to see Harry standing in front of him, dimple in all its glory. 

“Hey Harry.” 

“So, um, like thanks for the help and all.” He lifted the gift bag into the air a bit. “I was wondering if you maybe wanted to catch a film? With me? Like, later?” 

Louis smiled so widely he thought his face might break. 

“Uh yeah. I'm free in like fifteen, actually. On two conditions.” He grinned devilishly. 

Harry smiled. “Sure. What're those?” 

“Well, one, you give me your number, and two… you go change into those right now.” 

Harry nodded slowly. “Gimme your phone, then.” 

They exchanged numbers and Harry headed to the door, but not before smirking back at Louis.

“See you in ten.” 

So maybe Christmas wouldn’t be so bad this year, after all.


End file.
